HUDDERSFIELD TOWN SIGN JON STEAD

Jon Stead has today joined Huddersfield Town for his second spell at the Club, putting pen to paper on a two year contract.

The Club also has an option to extend the contract for a third year.

Jon joins the Terriers on a free transfer after leaving Bristol City in the summer, returning to his hometown club that he first joined as an 11 year-old from Hepworth Juniors after nine and a half years away.

Huddersfield Town Manager Mark Robins commented:

“Jon’s arrival is a step forward for the Club ahead of the new Championship season, as we put together our strikers.

"At the end of last season our two loan strikers returned to their clubs, whilst Alan Lee and Lee Novak have moved on. We are transitioning that group of strikers and will add players of different types as we form the squad. We need intelligence, we need movement, we need pace and we need presence as well.

“Jon can certainly link the play; he has presence and experience at this level. I have spoken to him about goals; he has always scored consistently but I believe that he can score more than he has done.

“He’s a very different player to the one that left this Club back in 2004 and he was very popular with the supporters at Bristol City – he was their Player of the Year in 2012. He fits very well as a number nine in the system we want to play.

“Just as importantly he showed a real desire to return to Huddersfield Town. As soon as Jon knew of our interest he immediately turned down the other Championship offers that he had, such was his desire to be a Town player again and make a difference for us.

“Jon’s deal represents excellent value for the Club in terms of Financial Fair Play and the fact he’s available on a free.

“The Club has been very patient with its recruitment during the closed season, but it has paid off as we have got the right player today. With the signings of Jon we have added extra impetus to the forward areas of the pitch, but our activity in the market will continue to strengthen that area further still."

Standing at 6’ 3” tall, 30 year old, Huddersfield-born Jon started his career with the Terriers after graduating from the Academy – making his First Team debut in a home game against Brentford in 2002. He featured regularly during a tough debut season that resulted in the Club’s relegation to League 2, but excelled under Peter Jackson in 2003/04 – netting 18 goals in 31 games during the opening six months.

That form earned him a seven figure move to Premier League Blackburn Rovers in January 2004 and he made an immediate impact, helping to keep the Ewood Park club in the top flight with six important goals – many of them match winners. During his time at Rovers, he also earned 11 caps for England at Under-21 level.

In June 2005 he switched Premier League clubs, joining Sunderland for a reported £1.8 million. He played almost 50 Premier League games for the Black Cats before another move across the division to Sheffield United in January 2007.

Stead netted 11 goals in just 32 starts and 15 substitute appearances for the Blades before joining Championship Ipswich Town on loan for the majority of the 2008/09 season, playing 41 games and scoring 13 goals. That earned him a permanent move to Portman Road, although he spent four months of the 2009/10 season on loan at divisional rivals Coventry City.

Jon joined Championship side Bristol City on August 2010 and has scored 20 goals in 64 starts for the Club over the last two seasons, earning their ‘Player of the Year’ trophy during the 2011/12 campaign.